Restaurants are rated for food (four stars to none) and for atmosphere, service and decor (four triangles to none).

Daily spotlight specials are written on a slate in the bar area of this popular neighborhood steak house. On a recent evening the specials included soft‐shell crabs, gazpacho and boneless breast of chicken Cordon Bleu.

Don't expect plush decor. This is a no‐nonsense eating place with bare Formicatopped tables placed close together and waitresses who work hard at keeping the patrons satisfied. The noise level is high when the dining room is full. A liquor storestyle display case for wine and a glass‐fronted refrigerator showing the meat for the open grill are hardly decorative accents, Incidentally, the wine choice is small.

A spotlight special of broiled red snapper was dry, overcooked and liberally sprinkled with paprika. From the size of the muscles it must have been a whopper snapper.

On the other hand, the house specialty, called Pavini, which was Charbroiled loin veal chops, was cause for rejoicing. They proved that the Old Salt Chop House's chef is a master broiler and that there is indeed good veal available.

The dinner menu is remarkably extensive for the size of the restaurant, and runs the gamut from seafood curries and Lobster Cardinal to duck, chicken, steaks and stuffed cabbage. An appetizer of six large, firm, “Panama” shrimp with a tangy sauce was excellent, but at $2.75 pointed up the skyrocketing price of the crustacean. The gazpacho turned out to be more of a seasoned tomato juice than the traditional warm weather favorite, and came without benefit of any garnishes.

The salad dressings on both a special Italian salad ($1 extra) and regular bleucheese salad deserved better greens than the enormous pile of pale, shredded iceberg lettuce with tomato chunks.

Unexceptional Pies

Ice cream and diner‐style pies dominate the dessert selection, and judging by two fruit pies sampled they are not exceptional even in that league.

Complete luncheons served Monday through Friday cost $3.25, and there is a large assortment of sandwiches and and cold platters starting at $1.75. The Old Salt Chop House has ample parking space and is open for dinner seven days—Sundays from 4 P.M., weekdays and Saturdays from 5 P.M. Main dishes, which include salad and potato, range from $8.95 for sirloin to $4.25 for chicken. No credit cards accepted.

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